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I ran my usual 3 miles… I’m really having a hard time leaving my comfort zone when it comes to running short distances. I promised to run new routes, but I’ve only run 1 since I started my challenge this month. No matter… it’s more about getting out there anyway!

So yesterday, I woke up and looked out the window and immediately thought “NO.” So I decided not to run. I’ve been really into running everyday, so when I woke up and everything inside of me said “NO” I decided it was best not to. I did think about walking a bit on the treadmill before bed, but I decided against it since No means NO.

In terms of weekly mileage, I haven’t been surpassing anything I’ve done before, but I have been surpassing the number of consecutive days that I run, which has been much more mentally challenging than I anticipated. I have experience with feeling burnt out after running, so I decided that a Day 10 rest would be alright.

So far, I really like running shorter distances every day, but it is quite a bit time consuming. I drive 20 minutes to my running path, run for 27-30 minutes, stretch and bop around for 30 minutes, drive home 20 minutes, shower, unpack my gear, and then get on with my day. It ends up being a 2 to 3 hour commitment depending on how efficient I am with packing my gear the night before and how quickly I get home and into my routine. I know that once I come up with comfortable routes to run closer to home that the everyday running will be less time consuming, but for now I’m finding it difficult to beat the shady, uninterrupted 3 mile loop that I’ve been running.

Anyway – that’s my little running update for today. I think I’m going to finish off my ziti and think about making knock-off Chipotle burrito bowls for the rest of the week.

What do you guys have planned?

(Oh… did I mention I had some AMAZING wine the other night? I took pictures of the label, so I’ll put up a review tomorrow)

Yesterday and today I picked up the pace for my runs. I’ve been running the same 3 mile loop around a nearby lake, but I can’t seem to drag myself to run anywhere else. The path is partially shaded, by the water, and easy to access from my home – so I naturally gravitate to the path.

Normally, I run with my Sony headset, my Nike watch, and occasionally I’ll drag my cellphone along with me… but I’ve really been enjoying the “electronic” free running. I stopped using my GPS watch a few months ago, instead choosing paths that I knew the mileage for so I wouldn’t drive myself INSANE looking at my watch. Since, I’ve been a little scattered and have been forgetting my music too… and that has been surprisingly nice. It’s nice to hear my breath and my feet on the pavement.

Since I am planning on running/biking every single day for 30 days straight, my priorities have shifted. I know that I can’t just decide to run 12 miles one day because it’s nice out, I have to weigh whether or not I’ll be able to run the next day. So… I’ve been strategically running low mileage every day and resisting the urge to just keep on going when the weather is agreeable. It has been an interesting challenge, and I have to have a certain degree of self control over my running whims. I’m often tempted to run extra mileage, but I have been resisting so that I can continue my 30 days of running. However, since I have been keeping low mileage, I have decided to pick up the pace on the days where I’m tempted to run more. Yesterday and today were absolutely gorgeous out and I knew that I would be tempted to do extra mileage, so I simply picked up the pace so I would be ready to be “done” at the end of my runs. It’s been a good exercise, since for the last 3 years I’ve been more interested in the number of miles instead of the speed.

Anyway – that is my update for the day. For some pictures of my gorgeous runs and the beautiful lake I run by, check out my instagram. I post the temperature, my shoes, and a scenic shot after each of my runs!

I know this is me procrastinating, but I figured I’d give mileage break downs for the week. I don’t normally concern myself with the speed that I run, but instead keep track of mileage and where I run. I tend to prefer paved running paths or packed dirt. The trail I run is covered in gravel, which I find is a little slippery for me. I have weak knees so it aggravates them if I run more than a few miles on the gravel paths.

June 1- 2 miles, evening neighborhood run (sun setting, humid)

June 2- 2 miles, 11:00am trail run (sunny, hot)

June 3 – 3 miles, morning lake run (sunny)

June 4 – 1.5 miles, mid morning trail run (sunny)

June 5 – 3 miles, morning lake run (sunny)

June 6 – 3 miles, morning lake run (sunny)

June 7 – 3 miles, morning lake run (rainy)

Week 1 total: 17.5 miles

This week the weather was quite mild. The first two days were in the 80s and humid, but nothing terrible. I wore my Brooks PureFlow running shoes. I recently purchased the PureGrit in green and another in bright orange, so we’ll see how those work out. So far, these Brooks have been awesome so I’m excited to try more in the Pure Project.

For this coming week, I’m thinking about upping my mileage on at least one run during the week. Maybe swapping out one lake run for a longer 6 mile road run. We’ll see how I feel.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Friday!! What are your goals for the coming week??

Today has been amazing so far!! I did wake up later than I normally do, but I made it to the lake at 10:30 and bopped through my 3 miles. It was raining pretty hard, but like I promised “RAIN OR SHINE” so I ran. I was the only person at the park, but I loved every single minute of it. I saw an adorable duck with her adorable ducklings crossing my path, I saw some deer grazing in the woods, a beautiful swan fishing, and a bunch of these beautifully colored birds flitting through the air. It was amazing to just get out and run on my own, without anyone else on the path.

I always thought that running with other people made me faster, and that I enjoyed the competition of spotting a person and passing them… but I think I actually prefer today. It was quiet and beautiful and I could really focus on my running and just enjoying the absolutely gorgeous nature happening around me. I even danced a little at the end!

After my run, I ate a little and headed to run errands before hitting the library. I picked up a couple treats for myself to reward myself for the 7th day of my challenge. I just got here (the library) and the rain doesn’t look like it is going to let up, so I’m actually kind of excited to run again tomorrow in the absolutely quiet park in the rain.

Oh… and today, I wore spandex shorts, running tank, and hat from Nike. I topped off with a new rain jacket from GAP, which I am absolutely in love with. I found a similar one online in case you want one… go HERE. I bought it in an XL (I know… I’m a little nuts) but I like my running gear to be long and the hoods to be big, so I usually buy the biggest size. This one has scrunchy pulls so I can make it work.

What have you gotten into today? Did you see anything amazing? Do you like running in the rain??

I ran 3 miles today. I kept a little bit of a faster pace and got a good work out in. I was actually pretty tired after this run, which is atypical. I sat on the dock in the lake where I ran and chatted with my new found friend while I stretched before heading home.

I didn’t feel like making anything so I picked up a salad and headed to the library. I don’t know what was up with that salad, but I felt terrible afterwards. I drank nearly a gallon of water trying to get rid of that dry, weird taste in my mouth before I gave up and came home. I ate some carrots and downed an electrolyte drink before taking nap… apparently that did the trick because I feel better. Anyway, lesson learned. No more store bought salads.

I also just noticed that I gave myself a good sunburn on my shoulders from sitting out on the dock… so sunblock for tomorrow for sure. Though, I’m told it will be raining so we’ll see how my run shakes out tomorrow.

In the mean time, I want to share a new scone recipe that I tried out. I know… I know… I have so many of these types of recipes on my blog, but since I do spend a rather large portion of my day sitting in the library, I like to have good food that is portable. I’ll do a separate blog post on what I take to the library, but that’ll have to be another day.

So… these are almond flour scones (again) but sweetened with a bit of maple syrup and fluffy from the delicious pumpkin puree. I used this recipe from The Spinach Spot. I just found her blog today, and it’s totally awesome!

I tweaked (as always) and swapped the baking soda for baking powder, added a palm full of hazelnut flour, and skipped on the frosting. They turned out fluffy, moist, and absolutely delicious. I do have quite a sweet tooth, so next time I’ll add a little more maple syrup… maybe chocolate chips or some dried fruit…..

So… what did you all do today? Any weird food experiences like mine? What do you like to avoid??

(Sorry for the crap photos, I have terrible lighting in my kitchen and I didn’t try…. O.o)

At the beginning on the month, I challenged myself to run at least 2 miles every single day. So far, so good!! (Well… yesterday I only ran 1.5, but I made up for it by running 3 today).

Anyway, today I decided to do a little cleaning to get my closet in order to reflect my *new* healthy lifestyle of exercise every day. Man. I have to tell you… I have a problem. I know that I LOVE clothing, but I didn’t realize how much. Every single corner of my room is packed with clothing, shoes, and accessories. While I do wear and utilize almost every single thing I own, I also acknowledge that the sheer number of things I own is bordering on a “problem.” You know… the kind where someone sits you down and says “you have an addiction.”

I lived in a beautiful apartment with HUGE closets for the last three years, so it was easy to organize and hoard away… but now that I am living in a much smaller space, I have to manage my things much more carefully. I have to rotate out winter items and with this “rotating,” I’ve come to see that I have LOADS too many things. I’m getting together a huge box of things, and I’m going to donate them all to the Salvation Army. Someone out there will actually “need” some of these things and I certainly do not.

So. In addition to my 30 days of running/biking every day, I’m putting myself on a 100% clothing spending freeze and I am also taking the liberty of limiting my credit card access for food only. It might be a bit drastic, but having seen the sheer number of unnecessary and frivolous items I’ve accumulated over the years, I think it’s fair that I do without for quite some time.

Today was Day 1 of my challenge. I managed to get a 2 mile run in around 8:00pm… which was nice but kinda buggy out. I know for sure I swallowed a bug or two on this run. I think I will try to run in the mornings so I get it done and I can focus on the rest of my day. Today, I woke up thinking about my run and then wasted the entire day thinking about it instead of just getting it done.

I also dropped my athletic-wear drawer on my foot so that kinda dampened my run… combined with the bruised toes I have from wearing uncomfortable teetery heels for a wedding last weekend.

Basically… it was good to get back out there, but I think I need to be less clumsy and do my runs earlier.